


The Royal Family

by Haayls



Category: The Legend of Zelda
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-09
Updated: 2014-01-09
Packaged: 2018-01-08 02:50:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1127479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haayls/pseuds/Haayls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Tovia's whole entire life, she's felt like an outcast, like she didn't belong. As if her family, wasn't really her family. Discovering that her father is really the wind mage that supposedly killed her “real father”, Tovia learns the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Royal Family

**Author's Note:**

> One of my darker fanfics. Also very old. I think this one is from 2008. It's very...cliched, I admit that. I promise I have improved since then! :'D And my friend doc just loves to harass me by reminding me that I actually wrote this once upon a time. Also, if you don't like my character Tovia........sorry? *flinches*

Part 1. 

Chapter 1  
Hi, my name is Tovia and I’m fifteen years old. I was born on a cold November day. I live in a rich family, in fact, my family is royal. I have everything I could possibly want, I have a loving mom, who is the future Queen Zelda VI. of Hyrule, a caring step-dad, future King Thomas of Hyrule (I call him Tom, because he‘s not my real dad. I only do it behind his back, though. I call him father to his face as a sign of “respect” He‘s the prince of Termina.), a fairly nice older brother Prince Link II., (We call him Junior, because he was named after our dad, Link) who is seventeen years old, and an adorable (and loud) younger half-sister, Princess Zelda VII., who‘s seven. She’s the daughter of Tom and my mother, Junior and I are both the son and daughter of Link and my mother.  
After my dad was killed by the evil wind sorcerer named Vaati (we‘re not allowed to mention his name), Mom waited five years and then got married to Tom and had Zelda two years later. She had Junior when she was about my age and she had me when she was seventeen. She was a young mother and that made her want to wait a couple of years until she had another kid. In fact, she didn’t really want to have any more, but since neither Junior nor me are fully royal, she needed to marry someone who was royalty and then she would be the future Queen.  
I should be happy, right? To tell you the truth, I’m really not. Why, you ask? Well, I don’t know quite myself, either. I guess you can say I feel like I don’t belong. Though my family always have welcomed me with opens arms and they love me, I don’t feel like I’m one of them…  
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Chapter 2  
I laid down on my bed, staring at the clouds out the window. They were open and wind was blowing in and weaving through my violet colored hair. I took a strand of hair and held it in front of my crimson eyes. ‘Is this really mine?’ I asked myself. The sound of the dinner bell rings in my ears. I get up from my big, comfortable bed, and head down to the dining hall.  
On both sides of the hallway, there were paintings of the past kings and queens of Hyrule. It even went back to before the first Queen Zelda. Mom’s portrait was up there and so was Tom’s. Junior’s picture would be up there soon, and so would Zelda’s. Not me, though. You know why? Because Zelda is full royal blooded, her dad is a prince from Termina. And since Mom said that she doesn’t want any more kids, Junior is the one and only male heir of this generation. I don’t really play a part. Junior is half royal blooded, just like me, and we share the same dad, who isn’t royal at all, but since there’s already a female heir that’s fully royal, there’s really no need for me. It’s hard being the middle out of three kids, the oldest gets spoiled and the youngest gets babied, while the middle one just gets a single pat on the back for helping her little sister with her ABCs. Even though Mom says that she has no favorites, I really thinks she does, but doesn’t show it.  
In the dining hall, Mom, Tom, Junior, and Zelda were sitting down. Standing at the end of the room while everyone else sits in their seats, smiling up at me makes me feel uncomfortable. There’s was still that question on my mind that I wanted to ask Mom.  
“Chair, Princess Tovia?” asks Winston, the butler.  
“Um, sure. Thanks.” I say, sitting down in the chair. Everybody else starts eating after Tom proposed the toast, but Mom is still smiling at me.  
“How was your day, Tovia?”  
I stare down at my plate of food. I’m deciding whether I should ask her or not. “Okay, I guess.” I answer.  
“That’s good.” she turned to Junior, “And what about you, Junior?”  
“Eh, same old, same old. Filled out some scrolls, did my daily lesson, the usual stuff.” Junior was a good brother, but I was jealous, HE got to be the important one. From what I hear, everybody made a big fuss when HE was born. And everybody pays attention to HIM.  
Mom smiled at Junior and moved to Zelda, “And you, Zelda?” I knew what was coming, the same train of words that blurt out of her mouth and stick together so much, you can’t make out a word she’s saying.  
“Well, first I went to Lilia’s house (she’s the maid’s daughter that’s Zelda’s age and that Zelda likes to hang out with) and we played tag, hide ‘n’ seek, the princess game, and ground. She braided my hair, and guess what?! She-she gave me this this thing!” Zelda revealed at shiny plastic ring on her ring finger.  
“Sounds like you had a good time.” Mom said.  
“Yeah! Yeah!” Zelda jumped in her seat excitedly.  
Mom smiled. “That’s nice.”  
Everyone ate their meal, but I hardly touched it. With that nagging question still on my mind, how could I? Tom, Zelda, and Junior left and the maids were clearing the table. Mom had probably left, but she’s didn’t. I pulled her aside. I was ready to ask her.  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 3  
“Hello, Tovia. Is there something you want to tell me?” Mom asked.  
“Ask. Something I want to ask you.”  
“Oh, what’s that?”  
I sighed, then looked at her sternly. “Where did I come from?”  
Mom laughed nervously, “Oh, Tovia. I already told you. Link, the Hero of Time is your father. You’re Junior’s full little sister, remember?”  
“No, Mom. I want the truth.” I lowered my eyebrows.  
“That is the truth, dear.”  
“Mother, it’s very obvious! Why do I have purple hair while you, my real father and all four of my grandparents have blond? Why are my eyes ruby instead of blue like everybody else who is related to me?”  
“Link is your father and no one else! End of discussion!” Mom got up and walked off.  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 4  
I mumbled angrily to myself as I got under my covers and shut my eyes, trying to fall asleep. But I couldn’t. The thought kept me awake. How could she turn down my reasonable question? In the portraits of my mother’s parents as young people, they had blond hair and blue eyes. Both of them.  
And when I got to meet my “real” father’s grandparents, they showed me picture’s of when they were young parents taking care of their kids. The pictures where in black and white, but you could tell their hair was a very light blond. I never knew my grandparents on my “real” dad’s side. They died sometime when he was a baby. I forgot the whole story.  
I stared at the open window as my eyes stared to flutter closed.  
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Chapter 5  
I was wandering through the courtyard. It was a cold November night and the smell of crisp fallen leaves filled the air. I saw a young man, he looked about nineteen, bending down over a puddle of water. I could only see his silhouette, but I wanted to have a closer look at him.  
“Uh…excuse me…” I said coming closer. “Excuse me!” I say a bit louder. He stood up and backed away from me.  
“What do you want?” he snapped.  
“Can…can you come a little closer to me? I want to see you.”  
“No you don’t.”  
“Please?”  
“Go! Get out of my sight!”  
Since I was royalty and I assumed he wasn’t, I remembered that I had the right to command him, “I demand you to come closer!” I took a step forward, he took a step back.  
“I must know your name. Can’t you at least tell me that?”  
“No, you must never know my name, and you must NEVER look at me! You’re not allowed to know me!”  
“Not allowed? What is that supposed to mean? Hello?! I want an answer!”  
“You want an answer? I’ll give you an answer, my Tovia!” As I tried to plunge for him, he disappeared. That’s all I remembered.  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 6  
I gasped as I awoke from my dream. It was morning already. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping. I quickly got out of bed and ran to the window that looked down on the courtyard that was in my dream. I don’t know why, but I thought that he might still be there. He was not. 

Down at breakfast, Mom and I were the only ones who were awake. She was eating her porridge as I stared across the table at her. She looked up, not smiling.  
“Morning, dear.” She looked back down again.  
“Mom, I’m sorry for bringing up my dad last night. I know how upset you get when I bring him up.”  
“Quite alright, honey.” A small smile came to her lips. Pretty soon a high pitched racket was coming down the hallway. It was Zelda. She made a sharp turn into the dining hall and her slipper-covered feet slid across the granite floor.  
“Big sister! Big sister! Big sister! I checked your bed and you weren’t there, I was so worried!”  
“I didn’t go anywhere, Zelda.” I was surprised at how somebody could have so much energy at 8:00 in the morning. She stared up at me with her big blue eyes.  
“I’m just happy to have a big sister like you, Tovia!”  
“Yeah, let’s lose the sarcasm.” I say sarcastically.  
“Tovia!” Mom snapped.  
“What’s ‘sar-cazim’ ?” asked Zelda.  
“Uh, I’ll tell you later.” I say.  
“Okay! That should be fun!” Zelda started to run off.  
“Oh dearest!” Mom called. “Don’t you want any breakfast?”  
“I’m not hungry!” Zelda yelled from down the hall. Mom shrugged.  
“It’s her choice.”  
I laugh. “Yeah.”  
“Well, would you like anything? Winston! Winsto-”  
“No need. I’m not hungry either.” I get up from my seat and leave. “Goodbye, mother!”  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 7  
I figured I better not talk to Mom about my dream, because I still get the hunch she’s still mad at me. I don’t know. I saw Junior running down the hall with a pile of scrolls in his arms.  
“Hey, Junior! Can I talk to you for a second?”  
“Not now, Tovia. I’m really busy right now. Why don’t you go play with Zel for a while?”  
“That baby? She’s so boring, she’s probably playing with that brat Lilia right now. But I really need to talk to you! It’s really important!”  
Junior grunted annoyingly and came to a stop. “Someone better be dying!” He pouted.  
“I had a really weird dream last night…”  
Junior gained speed and took off. “Now you made me late! I already told you! I don’t have time! Go play with Zelda!”  
“But she’s such a BABY!!!” I shouted. And with that Junior turned a corner and was gone.  
I stuck my tongue out at him. And headed for my room. On my way there, I heard sobbing coming from behind one of the pillars. It was Zelda.  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 8  
Okay, so Zelda’s overheard me call her a baby to Junior, so what? I didn’t want to hang around her in the first place. After all, she and Lilia only played little kid games. I mean, what would fifteen year old like me would want to play hide ‘n’ seek for? And only a princess wanna-be like Lilia would make up a stupid game called “The Princess Game”  
After dinner, I brushed my teeth, slipped into my nightgown and went to bed. 

It was still in a cold November. But it was daytime. I was running down the hall chasing Zelda.  
“Zelda get back here with my brush!” I yelled and she ran into Mom and Tom’s room, giggling. I ran into the room and I didn’t see her anywhere. I figured she was probably hiding in the walk-in closet. I opened the door of the closet, she wasn’t there. Nor was she under the bed when I checked. I scanned the bottom of the bed one more time, then I heard a baby crying.  
Bumping my head as I tried to look up and see what it was. It was a baby. The young man from my dream last night had his back facing me and was holding the baby in his arms.  
“Hey, you!” I shouted at him. “We weren’t finished talking!” The baby cried louder.  
“Shuttup!” he hissed. “You woke her up when you came in here! Didn’t I tell you to go away!?”  
“You can’t tell me to go away! I’m a princess! And what are you? Some worthless peasant!”  
“Are you sure you want to be calling me that? I’m sure you know, after all, that you’re not all royal yourself, Miss half-Princess Tovia.” He ran off, and jumped out the window. I looked to see if he was okay…not that I really cared about his health, but I was worried about the baby. They were both gone. Nowhere to be seen.  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 9  
I could hardly pay attention during my lesson. They only thing that my mind focused on were those weird dreams I’ve had the past two nights. Did they mean something? Were they the answer to the questions that Mom didn’t seem to want to answer? I had no idea, but I decided, I better start doing some investigating…

I couldn’t wait until night came. I wanted to dream again. It seemed to take forever for night to come, it came. I fell asleep slowly and began to dream again…

It was still very chilly. It was daytime and it was beginning to drizzle. In the village square, I was in the back of a large crowd that was booing and chanting something angrily. Something like “Kill him! Kill him!” I wanted to see what the commotion was all about, but I had a hard time pushing my way through the people. I only got close enough to see the feet of someone stepping up onto the gallows platform.  
“Move! Move!” I shout to the person in front of me, but they don’t seem to notice me. “Move! I want to see!” I shout once more, they still can’t hear me. I grunt, “Please!” No answer they just keep standing there chanting “Kill him! Kill the murderer! Kill the cold-blooded savage!”  
“Move it, please!” I yell again. He doesn’t budge. Pretty soon I saw the guy who was standing on the platform walkover a trap door and stay standing for a second or two. A guard’s feet walked over to his and stood facing him.  
“What’s going on?” I ask, hoping that the person in front of me will at least answer me. There was no answer.  
“Hey!” I shout. The trap door under the man that was standing over it, open. Instead of falling through the door, he just hung there.  
“Hey, you! Let me through!” I demanded. This was really starting to piss me off.  
People started leaving. The ones in the back started first and then the population of the people there started to deteriorate. It was almost dark and it was raining hard when there weren’t too many people to block my way.  
On the platform I saw Grandpa holding a small baby with light blond hair, he was standing next to a young blond girl who looked my age with the baby from last night’s dream, the baby was still crying. Grandpa and the girl both had straight faces as they stared right through me as they held umbrellas over their heads. They were obviously looking at something else. I turned around to see what.  
The man from the two dreams was hanging by the neck.  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 10  
I woke up screaming and Zelda came running into my room, swinging an umbrella and shouting, “I’ll protect you, Tovia!!!”  
“Zelda! Zelda! Settle down, there’s nothing to worry about! I just had a bad dream.” I had realized it was still nighttime. Zelda came and sat down on my bed next to me. The umbrella still in her tiny hands, holding it as if it were a rifle.  
“Really?” Zelda asked intently. “What was it about?”  
“Nothing! It’s none of your business. Just go back to bed, okay?” I say.  
“But I don’t want you to get eaten by the Boo Monster!” The “Boo Monster” was some crazy monster that Zelda believed in, he lived behind people’s curtains and tried to eat them during the night.  
“Zelda, didn’t your Daddy already tell you? There’s no such thing as the Boo Monster! You don’t still believe in him, do you?”  
“But I saw him! His big red eyes were peeking out of my curtains!”  
“It must have been your imagination, you can be a real baby sometimes, you know.”  
“Why are you so mean to me?”  
“I’m your big sister, it’s my job. Now go back to bed.”  
Zelda frowned, took her umbrella and left. I laid back down. I couldn’t sleep all the rest of that night.  
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Chapter 11  
It was Sunday, and that was the day Mom, Junior, and I went to “dad’s” grave. We’d all set down a flower for him after Mom would remove the old flowers. I had never really paid attention to the dates on the grave. It said that he died on January 15. Which was about ten and a half months before I was born.  
Strange thing because, it takes a baby nine months to fully develop. And…how could I have been born a month and a half after I could have even developed? That doesn’t make any sense!  
After we were done, Mom and Junior started talking with each other. They didn’t notice me sneak off into the forbidden part of the cemetery…  
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Chapter 12  
Call me weird, but I always go to the forbidden part of the cemetery to get away from it all. The forbidden section was where bad people were buried. The tombstones were really low-quality and they could fall apart easily from precipitation and Likens. I’m like a regular there, except there’s no one to talk to. But I like it just for that reason. I tripped over a jagged old grave and scraped my shin.  
“Gah!” I fell down squeezing my hands against the scrape. I turned around. I had knocked the grave over. As I went over to put it back up again, I noticed something strange. That person had died the same exact day I was born. Same day, same month, same year. Not only did the death date stun me, but the person’s name, and his cause of death. Now I knew, who it was I was looking for.  
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Chapter 13  
I came up to my mom while she was in the library reading a book.  
“Mom, I know about Vaati.” I said. Mom practically jumped out of her skin.  
“Tovia!” she snapped. “Don’t ever say that…that name again!”  
I made a stubborn look, “Vaati! Vaati! Vaati! But listen! I know all about him, Mom! He’s my real dad, not the Hero of Time!”  
“You--” Mom began, putting her finger up, then she stopped and sighed sadly, “I had hoped you’d never find out…Come here, Tovia, and sit down.” I sat down and poured myself some tea from the pot sitting on the coffee table. Mom looked down, sighed and told the story…  
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Chapter 14  
(Fifteen Years Ago…)  
Junior was only about six months old. Though he was able to walk and talk, he was a bit on the stubborn side. So the young princess Zelda (VI) and her husband, Link had to carry him around. It was a cloudy day and Junior had begun to cry.  
Zelda had Junior in her arms. Thunder was booming, but no rain came. The lights went out and a huge chill filled the room. Junior screamed louder and louder as Zelda tried to rock him, burp him, sing to him, anything to make him stop crying. This was unusual. He wouldn’t normally cry this way. Right away, both of the parents knew something was wrong.  
The glass porch door swung open and wind blew in on all three on them. A dark figure approached them. He had an evil grin upon his face, his red eyes peered into their souls, and his long purple hair blew wildly in the wind as he laughed maniacally.  
Link and Zelda were frozen.  
“V-Vaati?! You’re supposed to be dead!” said Link.  
“So it would seem.” Vaati smirked, “I’ve come to collect what’s mine.”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“You know exactly ‘what.’” Vaati turned to Zelda, “Perhaps you remember?”  
“…No…” Zelda said.  
“Oh, my! You people are stupider than I gave you credit for! I’m sure you remember, Princess, you were my little runaway bride.”  
Zelda shook her head, holding Junior close to her chest, “No! NO!”  
“Yes, yes! And we haven’t finished what we have begun, my beloved fiancé.” he looked down at Junior, stepping closer. “But to my bad timing, you’ve already married and had a little one. Pity, Pity, pity. No matter. I can just take care of that!” Vaati glared at Link, running at him and smashing him against the wall, then throwing him on the floor, choking him. “This is the penalty for going against me! Any last words?” Vaati took his hand away from Link’s throat, but had moved his arm and wrapped it around Link’s neck, ready to break it.  
“Uh…uh…”  
“Heh heh heh heh!” Vaati snickered.  
“Don’t kill him!” Zelda cried and set Junior down in his crib, ready to defend herself, Link, and her baby.  
“Okay,” Vaati let go of Link and snatched Junior out of his crib and held him upside down by his foot. Link and Zelda gasped. “I’ll just take him!”  
“No, don’t hurt him! He’s just a baby!” Zelda panicked.  
“Please, don’t harm him! You can’t do that without a fight!” Link said.  
Vaati smiled and set Junior down in his crib. It was easy to tell, that a fight with Link was exactly the kind of thing Vaati was aiming for.  
Link grabbed his sword and Vaati fired his magic. The fight began!  
It had started off with Link slashing at Vaati enough times to make him bleed. It had almost seemed like Link was going to win. He knew Vaati’s weak point, he aimed his sword at Vaati’s eye, trying to stab him. He was going to win! Vaati was helpless. When just then Vaati managed to snatch Link’s sword right from his hands. Vaati pushed Link off of him and sent him flying across the room. Unarmed, Link was defenseless. Vaati plunged and the blade went right through Link’s chest.  
Screaming in agony, Link tried his best to fight Vaati off and pull his sword out, but he could not. Vaati laughed and stepped away. Zelda screeched and ran to Link, not only to be stopped by Vaati, who was holding her wrists tightly.  
“Let go of me!!!” Zelda shouted.  
“I’ve broken your arm once, princess, I can do it again!” Vaati began to twist her wrists. Zelda gritted her teeth as she saw Link bleeding to death on the rug.  
Anger built up inside of her, she lifted up her knee and kicked Vaati in the gut. He finally let go of her and fell to the floor as Zelda knocked him unconscious by kicking him in the temple. She ran to her love’s side.  
“Link! Link! Hang in there! You’ll be okay! You’ll be okay!” She stroked his hair.  
“Zelda?”  
“Yes?”  
“Take care of Junior. Raise him to be just like his father.” And with that he closed his eyes and lay there motionless. The guards had burst in, worried that something was wrong. When they saw that Link was dead, Zelda was sobbing beside him, and Vaati was lying unconscious, they knew indeed something was very wrong.  
“What’s Vaati doing here?” One of the guards asked.  
“Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?” the other guard asked.  
“More importantly, how did he get in here?” The two guards looked at the open window, the glass was shattered.  
“Oh.” they both said together. The king ran in.  
“What’s going on in here?” he asked. He peered down at his daughter, who was wrapping her arms around Link. Blood was all over.  
“What happened?!” the king gasped, “Who has done this!?”  
“Vaati has, your highness.” One of the guards said.  
The King looked down at Vaati, who was right at his feet. “VAATI!!!” He roared. He picked him up and shook him. “You!!!” He said lividly. “You filthy, cold-hearted murderer! You barbarian! You shall hang for this! Take him to the dungeon!”  
The guards obeyed and carried Vaati off. Zelda wasn’t paying attention, she was still sobbing.  
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Chapter 15  
Vaati awoke with an aching pain in his head.  
“Oh!” he moaned, clamping his hands to his head, “What happened? Where am I?” Vaati looked around at his surroundings. It was a cold, dark dungeon cell. He had been sleeping on a pile of straw.  
Vaati wanted to get up and walk around, but he noticed something tugging on his ankle. It was a cuff attached to a chain that led to a heavy ball.  
“What the-!?” Outside the door of the dungeon, a guard stood, facing forward. “Hey, guard! What the heck is going on?!”  
The guard turned to Vaati, “You’re in major trouble with the royal family, that’s what the heck is going on!” The guard said coldly. He unlocked the door and let Vaati out, also unlocking the ankle cuff. “You’re expected in the audience chamber. The king will think of an execution for you.  
‘Geez, I’m REALLY in hot water now!’

Later in the audience chamber the king sat in his thrown with his daughter at his side. They both had livid looks. The king spoke up first.  
“Vaati, what you did was unforgivable!” he began. Vaati snickered under his breath. “Do you know how much my daughter cared for that boy? Do you?!” His voice roared.  
“Oh yea-”  
“Silence! You speak when told to speak!”  
“sorry.” Vaati mumbled, rolling his eyes.  
“And that’s not the only crime you’ve committed! Kidnapping, attempted murder…the list goes on!!!”  
Vaati laughed, “What are you gonna do? Take away my dessert for a month?”  
The king frowned, “No, it’s going to be much worse! As punishment, you will be hanged!”  
Vaati’s eyes widened and he could feel his heart pounding in his ears. Though, in a way he was somewhat expecting this, thinking about it made his face hot. The king dismissed Vaati back to his cell.  
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Chapter 16  
Back inside Vaati’s dark, depressing cell, he thought about what was going happen to him. ‘Me? Going to die? I’m only twenty and my life is being cut short. I’m too young!’ He began to think about his family. ‘There will be no one to pass down the Picoru name! No one! I need an heir! A powerful boy who will be a prince and he will pass down my name from generation to generation. But who will be the mother?’  
“…the princess!” Vaati snickered. “She will be the mother of my child!”  
“What are you blabbering about, you rodent?” one of the guardsmen said.  
“Nothing, my good man.” Vaati said. ‘But I’m stuck in this cell until I die. And I would be caught if I got anywhere near her. There’s a love spell I know of…what was it? No wait! It was a potion. And it’s made from a spell! That’s it! All I need is some water and I could slip it into the princess’s tea. I know exactly what I’ll do now! Heh heh heh!’  
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Chapter 17  
“Hey, purple boy, wake up. It’s breakfast!” a guardsman kicked Vaati and set a bowl of water down for washing his hands and a drumstick of some kind of beast down next to it. “I don’t know why we have to waste such good food on someone like you. Just eat it!” The guard left and locked the door.  
“You’ll be sorry you called me purple boy.” Vaati mumbled. The guard didn’t hear. Vaati smiled. Now he had the water he needed for the potion. “I love magic.” Vaati said to himself.  
“What the heck is he talking about, Cody?” the first guard asked.  
“Beats me, Jacob.” he second guard said. “He’s probably just gone crazy from being in that cell for too long.” The two guards laughed.  
Vaati rolled his eyes. Then looked down at the water and said the spell quietly. A pink cloud shaped like a heart arose from the bowl and poured it into a canteen. Vaati smirked. “Perfect.”  
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Part 2.

Chapter 18  
“You want…what?!” The king gave a face as if he were speaking to an idiot.  
“Tea time…with your daughter. I was thinking about what I did. I know it’s too late to change what happened and that my sentence is still going to happen. But I’d at least like to die knowing that she knows that there’s still a sliver of kindness in me. I’m sure you know the feeling of having total anger at someone, and it doesn’t feel very good, does it? I just want to make peace with her. Please, your Highness?” Vaati said, making eye contact with the king with a sincere face. Not even thinking of smirking or giggling.  
“Well…” the king began, “I suppose there’s nothing to lose. And I’m sure talking things through would make her feel a tad bit better. I suppose so. You’re scheduled to meet me and her in the dining hall tomorrow at noon. Don’t be late!”  
“Thank you, your highness. You are a great man.” Vaati bowed, never giving away his position.  
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Chapter 19  
Vaati sat on the pile of straw, smiling from ear to ear the next day. He knew his plan was going to work. He happily patted the canteen with the love potion inside with the tips of his fingers. ‘I’ll just put the whole castle into a deep sleep once I greet the king and the princess. And after she sips the tea. Yes, it’ll go just the way I planned!’  
“Vaati, you’re expected at the dining hall. You better get over there.” Cody said as he unlocked the door and escorted him to the dining hall. “Don’t try any funny business, you hear?”  
“Poor, poor Vaati. He always gets treated like dirt. Why must Cody be so harsh on him?” Vaati said, tilting his head back, peeking at Cody through his long, fair hair.  
“Just have your stupid tea party.” And with that, Cody left.  
Vaati walked into the dining hall. The king and the princess sat at the table. “Vaati, you’re on time. Please, sit down.” the king said. Vaati grabbed a seat next to Zelda.  
“So, Vaati, what makes you want to have this little talk?” Zelda said, straight faced.  
“Well,” Vaati made himself comfortable, putting his left foot on the seat of his chair, holding his knee. “I wanted to make a peace offering with the royal family…”  
“It’s too late for that!” Zelda snapped. “Link’s dead!”  
“I am aware. Now, I cannot undo the past, but I can try to make it up to you.”  
Zelda crossed her arms and glared. “How so?”  
“Magic, my dear. I have a little thing that most people do not possess. I can give you a little piece of it.”  
“You’re just bluffing! I bet you’re up to something.” Zelda stood up.  
“Now, Zelda, please do sit down.” the king calmed her. Zelda sat down and turned to her father.  
“Do you have any idea who he is?! He killed my husband! He’s a murderer!! How can you possibly trust him this easily?” Vaati swiftly poured the love potion into his tea and switched cups with the princess.  
“Don’t worry, Zelda, he’s powerless here! There’s guards around. If he tried to hurt us, the knights would take him down.”  
“Father! You’re the king! Out of all the people you should be the most worried.” Zelda turned back to facing forward, her eyebrows low. Vaati watched intently as she sipped her tea. ‘Use the sleeping spell! NOW!’ Vaati told himself, and he did. No sooner had the king dropped face-first into the table, drowsy. All of Hyrule Castle was asleep, except for Vaati and the princess.  
Zelda looked up at Vaati and smiled. He grinned. ‘It worked!’  
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Chapter 20  
Princess Zelda awoke in her bed. Her head was spinning as she tried to recall what happened. She rubbed her eyes. “Wha--what happened?” She looked around, only to find herself barely dressed and with Vaati lounging next to her. He looked over at her and smirked.  
The princess nearly jumped out of her skin. “Vaati?! What are you doing here? What--what am I doing like this?!”  
He leaned over her and set his hand down on her belly. “Congratulations, princess. You’re pregnant!”  
She gasped. “WHAT?!”  
“You’re carrying a baby. And that baby is mine.”  
Zelda scooted away from him and wrapped the blanket around her. “What? Huh? Wh--what makes you think that?”  
“I used magic on you. That’s why I’m absolutely sure!”  
The young princess covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh my goddess! Guards! Guards!”  
“Heh heh heh! They can’t help you now.” Vaati laughed as he got up and got dressed. “They’re under a sleeping spell. And they’ll only wake up if I snap my fingers.” He walked toward the door. “Good day.” And with that he snapped his fingers and disappeared.  
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Chapter 21  
“VAATI!!!” The king roared.  
“Yes, Ezlo--er I mean. Your highness?” Vaati said.  
“ From what my daughter tells me, you…YOU impregnated her!? Is this true?”  
Vaati smiled, “True as the deep blue!”  
“What the hell were you thinking?! She’s royal! You can’t just do whatever you want to her! I ought to personally kill you for this!” his face was steaming.  
“Father,” Zelda began, “shouting won’t get us anywhere. Shouldn’t we do something about the problem? After all, what’s done is done. The only way of solving this is to look into the future and see what we can do.”  
The king sighed, his face turning back to normal, “True, very true,” he said with a huff, “We can’t have this baby born without a father, but I’m not aiming for having to marry my daughter off to…to him!” The king pointed to Vaati as he made an evil grin.  
“But what choice do we have? It would be bad if a child were born into the royal family without a father.”  
“I don’t want Vaati to marry you, sweetie.”  
“Then who else would I marry? A guard? Link is already dead and I remain a widow. Though I am keeping his last name.”  
“Perhaps…we could just say that Link is the dad? And tell no one about it. Not a soul.”  
‘No!’ Vaati thought. He decided to step in. “If I may make a suggestion…I am the real father, as you know. I think I deserve some credit.”  
The king glared. “You’re going to be executed soon. When you die, there will be no use for you anymore.”  
“About that, your majesty. You’re a respectable man, I know you’re furious with me now, but I’d at least like to live to see the birth of my child. Even the evilest of fiends should get that kind of chance. Please?”  
The king lowered his eyebrows. His dark blue eyes peered into Vaati‘s soul.“…Fine. I’ll postpone your execution until after you get to see your newborn. But no later! I want you gone from Hyrule A.S.A.P..”  
“Dad, what about the marriage thing?” Zelda muttered into the king’s ear.  
“I would also take responsibility for that.” Vaati implied. Everyone stared at him.  
“What?” The king asked.  
“I would be her groom. Just until I’m executed.”  
“You?” the king laughed. Many of the guards laughed with him.  
“Yes, it would only be for nine months up until I get to see my baby and I get my punishment. I mean, hey! I’m the only real father of her baby, shouldn’t I get to marry the mother?”  
The king stared into Vaati’s eyes, speechless. Would he let his daughter get married to a killer?  
Vaati continued, “I don’t ask for much. Just that you let me take responsibility for being the dad.”  
“Well…” the king said with a sigh, “Whatever, I guess so. But just until you’re executed. And like a true husband, you must never do anything to harm the princess or the baby she is carrying. Understood?!”  
“Don’t worry, I care as much for the well-being for my unborn child as any father-to-be would. Thank you, my lord. You’re not so bad, you know.” Vaati said.  
After the meeting, the king pulled Vaati to the side and whispered in his ear.  
“I’m warning you, Vaati. If anything bad happens to my daughter, her blood is on your hands!”  
“Don’t worry, your highness. I swear on my mother’s grave I won’t lay a finger on her!”  
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Chapter 22  
Vaati bounced a rubber band ball that Jacob had given to him to keep him from going insane onto the floor, off the wall, and back into his hand again. There was nothing to do in a cell that had nothing but stone, straw, and bars. So Vaati just bounced the ball, creating a rhythmic beat.  
‘I’m a genius! I rock! I’m going to get to live a little bit longer, I’ll have my own son to pass down my name, and I’ll be married to the princess! Could things get any better than this?’  
“Hey squirt, keep down the noise.” Jacob said.  
“What noise?”  
“My rubber band ball, you nut brain!”  
“Sorry about that.”  
“Don’t pretend to act all nice. I know who you are, and I don’t like you. Not one little bit!”  
“You can’t hate me forever.” Vaati continued bouncing the ball.  
“We’ll see about that.” Jacob faced forward.  
As Vaati continued bouncing the ball, and Jacob and Cody talked amongst themselves. Vaati thought through how things were going to go.  
The wedding was in two weeks, and he wasn’t sure if the king would let him go as himself (in his robe and hat) or if he’d make his dress up. But what really mattered was that his newborn son was going to have the same last name as him and that he would carry on that name from generation to generation. And that, hopefully, he would be remembered.  
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Chapter 23  
The big day finally came. It was the only thing the castle had been talking about for a long time. The king decided not to waste good clothes on someone like Vaati, so Vaati had to go as he was. As for the princess, she was not happy about marrying the murderer of her husband and changing her name to his. Even temporarily.  
Inside the cathedral, anyone who wanted to come to the wedding, came. Nobles, merchants, peasants, anybody! And Vaati stood near the priest with his arms crossed in the careless kind of way.  
Zelda was sitting outside, on a bench with her father. She looked up at him with an upset look in her eyes and he hugged her. Tears began to trickle down her face.  
“I don’t want to marry him!” she sobbed quietly.  
“I know you don’t. I don’t want you to either, but it’s only until the baby is born and the baby can’t be born without a father.” Silence. “You’re very brave. Everyone in Hyrule thinks so…Well,” he stood up. “I believe it’s time.”  
Zelda stood up with her dad and they walked into the building as the organ music began to play. Vaati was still standing with his arms crossed and only turned around a few times to glance at the princess. She approached Vaati and he uncrossed his arms so he could hold her hand, and smiled. Not a grim smile, or evil, or even a quick, meaningless smile. It was one of those smiles as if to casually say, “Hey.”  
After the two were given the permission to kiss. Zelda closed her eyes. Vaati leaned over into the girl’s face. Covering their faces with his hair so not even the priest could see what they were doing and he mumbled, “We don’t have to kiss if you don’t want to. We could just pretend.” Zelda opened her eyes and looked at him. “I works all the time!” Vaati said, getting close enough to kiss her cheek. And then went back to standing upright again.  
They were married.  
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Chapter 24  
After the wedding, Vaati was put back in his cell and Zelda had gone out to the courtyard to calm herself down. The sound of the water trickling down the fountain was soothing. When she felt a little better, she got up to go back inside the castle.  
Climbing the stairs, she started to feel dizzy. There were colors swirling around and everything around her was dancing. Princess Zelda fell over and blacked out.

Meanwhile, in Vaati’s cell, guards were rushing back and forth. One guard told something to Jacob and Jacob said it to Cody. Vaati got up from the hay pile in curiosity.  
“What’s going on?” he asked.  
“It’s the princess! She’s fainted! Come quickly!” Cody said in an urgent voice and let Vaati out to go and see her.  
“Damn, it must have been that spell!” Vaati got up and ran to the infirmary, where Zelda was.

Zelda was lying motionless on a bed in the infirmary. She wasn’t moving except for her breathing. Her hand was resting on her womb. Vaati leaned over her.  
“I knew it!” he said. ‘That stupid spell has side effects. I should have known!’ A nurse walked by to check up on her.  
“Is she going to be alright?” Vaati asked, worried.  
“Hmm…I don’t know…”  
“Is she going to live?” he was breathing heavily.  
“I can’t tell for sure, m’dear.”  
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Chapter 25  
As Jacob led Vaati back to his cell. It seemed to take longer to get from the infirmary back to his cell that it did vice versa. By now they were walking down the main hall.  
“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”  
“Huh?” Vaati’s mind was on automatic.  
“Princess Zelda.”  
“…I guess, maybe…a little.”  
Jacob laughed. “Do you like her?”  
“Why is that any of your business?” Vaati said, stopping and folding his arms.  
“Don’t take it offensively, Vaati. It’s just a question.”  
“I know. I was just saying…” he replied. “…But I guess I kind of like her.”  
Jacob laughed hard and Vaati glared. Though he knew it was coming, he figured it was the only was to shut him up about it.  
“I don’t see what’s so funny!”  
“She’s a princess! And your just a lowlife scum. A murderer! A thief! There’s no way in heaven that she’s going to love you back!” Jacob snickered.  
“I don’t love her! I said I liked her!” Vaati lowered his voice. “There’s a difference.”  
The two men happened to walk past the king, who was holding Junior in his arms. Junior glared at Vaati. It surprised him how such a little toddler could show such hate. He even thought that he wasn’t aware of anything that was happening or that did happen. Vaati killing his father, putting a curse on his mother.  
As for the king, there was also a look of anger in his eyes. But he didn’t show it through words. He stopped Vaati and Jacob.  
“Jacob. Wonderful work. You’re doing a great job!” he turned to Vaati. “Um…” he began, “Try not to get lost in the castle.”  
And with that, he and Junior left.  
“What was that all about?” Vaati asked.  
“What?”  
“’Try not to get lost in the castle.’? What does he mean by that? I’ll be in my cell when I’m not being escorted by you, Cody or another guard.”  
“Oh yeah, about that. Since you’re kind of temporarily part of the family. You can go wherever you want now. There’s some restricted areas, though. They don’t have a room for you, so you’ll have to sleep in your cell at night. And yeah, it’ll be locked at night. The king trusts you, but not that much.”  
Vaati smiled. Well, I guess this isn’t all bad.  
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Chapter 26  
All night Vaati couldn’t stop thinking about the princess. His biggest fear was her dying and having a miscarriage. She would die and take his unborn son with her. His execution would be moved closer and he wouldn’t have his heir. His name would be no more, his existence would be forgotten about.  
‘I can’t let her die. I can’t let my son die. All I ever wanted was to have a little version of me to hold in my arms and love to death…but now I won’t have that.’ Vaati sighed and removed his hat, setting it down on the ground to run his fingers through his hair.  
“Jacob?” Vaati turned his head to talk to him.  
“Jacob went home for the night. I’m Cody. I have the night shift, doesn’t that sound fun?” he said sarcastically, leaning his head up against the stone wall with his arms crossed, and his helmet covering his eyes, as if he were trying to take a siesta.  
“Cody, I want you to let me out to see the princess.”  
“Why should I do that?”  
Vaati pounded his fist on door. “I’m her husband, dammit! I deserve to see her!”  
“Infirmary’s closed. You can go tomorrow.”  
“What? What time is it?”  
“Eight forty three, why?”  
“Why? Because visiting hours go until nine, dumbass!”  
Cody held up the ring of keys. “ See this, Vaati? This is the skeleton key for the dungeons, and this one is for the dining hall, and this one is the Shut-Up key.” He jabbed Vaati’s fingers with the key and Vaati let go of the bars and sat down, eventually falling asleep.  
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Chapter 27  
Vaati ran as quick and early as he could to the infirmary. Zelda had regained consciousness. A beautifully decorated vase sat on her nightstand with a bouquet of pink roses. Leaning against the vase was a box of chocolates along with a “Get Well” card and a balloon that said the same thing.  
Junior was resting against her and she stroked his hair gently. When the young child spotted the wind sorcerer, Vaati could have sworn that kid was growling at him…or at least trying to, anyway.  
Zelda looked up at Vaati, and then back down at Junior. “You have a lot of nerve showing your face here.”  
Vaati ignored her words. “I came to see if you’re alright.”  
“Why should you care if I’m alright? I’m fine, okay?!” she said coldly.  
“You’re my wife, and I made a promise to your father that I would protect you.”  
“Well, don’t worry about it. I don’t need your protection!”  
Vaati sat down at her bedside. “Say it all you want, you really do need me more than ever. I know why you fainted. And I’m the only one who can help cure it. The spell I put on you is only effective fully to Minish. Human bodies don’t have a strong enough immune system to fight it off. If it were to be put on a human, the person could die. I’m sure you don’t want to die and also kill another living creature just because you don’t trust me. Don’t trust me just for your sake, but for someone else’s.” he patted her belly, which was already starting to round out.  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 28  
It was about noon that day when Vaati had been wandering around the castle. He stared at the portraits of the past royal family members. From Daphnes Nohanes, and the first princess Zelda all the way up to the current King Gustav.  
Something tugged his cape. Most assuredly someone very small. He looked down to find Junior frowning up at him.  
“Hey, I remember you! You’re Zelda’s little Tike, aren’t you?” Vaati knelt down to make himself eye-level to Junior. He didn’t like Junior, mostly because he resembled Link way too much, but he tried to mislead Junior into stop giving him dirty looks by acting nice.  
“Bad man!” Junior said, but it was lisped, with a hint of baby-talk.  
“..Did you say, Batman? Or bad man?”  
“BAD MAN!” Junior yelled. “You will die!”  
“Yeah, I know that.” Junior tugged a strand of Vaati’s hair, “Ow!” and spit on him. Vaati’s face steamed as he wiped the spit off and grab the little boy by the shoulders.  
“Listen, kid. I don’t like you at all! You’re a terrible, spoiled little brat. If you give me anymore trouble, I swear to god I will be inside of your nightmares! Inside of them!!! Do you understand?! And if you tell anyone about this, I will kill you, and make it look like and accident!”  
“Vaati? Is that you?” A voice was heard. Vaati loosened his grip on Junior as Jacob approached them. “Hey, Vaati, what’s happening?”  
“Oh, nothing.” He let go of Junior and patted his head. “Just having a little step-dad to step-son talk with lil’ Junior Link, here. Very well, Junior. That will be all.” Vaati stood up from kneeling and walked off.  
Jacob knelt down by Junior. “…Did Vaati…hurt you?” Junior shook his head. “…He wasn’t…bother you, was he?” Junior shook his head once more, in fear for his life.  
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Chapter 30  
“So you can really do it? You can heal me?…Won’t I just get better on my own?” the young princess sat up in her bed.  
“No, if I do nothing, you and the baby will die. No doubt about it.” Vaati sat at the foot of her bed. “Like I said before: that spell is dangerous for humans because it contains a corrosive gas that has no effect on Minish, but can destroy a non-Minish’s organ’s like a bomb!” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I shouldn’t have used that spell! How could I be so stupid?!” He sighed in stress “…Anyway, since our child is part Minish, he may still have a chance, but you are still a full human. And if you die, so does our baby, and I will not allow that.”  
“So there must be no choice but to use the healing spell?” Zelda looked worried. The fact of having magic used on her when her life was on the line made her shake with nerve.  
“Correct.” Vaati nodded, his eyes looking straight into hers and he held her hand.  
The king pounded his fist on the nightstand. The China vase of flowers shook. “Keep your hands off my daughter!”  
“Please, your highness. It’s the only way I can save your daughter and her baby.”  
“You murderer! How am I supposed to know you won’t just kill her?”  
“Why would I want to kill her unless I wanted my baby dead? I’ve already been sentenced. If anything, I want her to live so she can deliver my baby!”  
“Since when do you care about that baby?!”  
“I always have!! You don’t know how upset I’d be if my little baby boy died before he was even born! And I mean, seriously, why would I want her dead anyway?”  
“To get revenge!”  
“I’ve already gotten my revenge on Link. Even if I were to kill her, I wouldn‘t kill her now while she’s still got my baby! All I want is for him to at least be born. And if you stop me from helping your daughter, he never will be! Don‘t put my son‘s life in jeopardy, your highness, he‘s me and Zelda‘s son and your grandson! Do you want to kill your grandson…?!”  
“…No.” the king lowered his head.  
“I thought so…Zelda, are you ready?”  
Zelda suspired. “…Alright, Vaati. If it will save our unborn child…yes, I’m ready.”  
“Ready? Alright, now I want you to lay down and relax.”  
Zelda rested her head down on the feathery pillow, twiddling her thumbs nervously.  
“Somebody’s worried. Don’t sweat it, relax.” He rested his cold fingers on her womb. Zelda jumped up, startled.  
“You obviously want to die…” Vaati rolled his eyes.  
“Sorry, you just gave me a fright, that’s all.”  
“Don’t think about me. Just doze off, okay?”  
She yawned as Vaati stroked her hair gently. “Shh…you’ll be fine. You’re in good hands…” he reassured her as her eyes fluttered closed.  
Vaati put his hands back on her womb.  
“Pisara itaci suria!” He muttered the spell under his breath. “Rocachi macici Picori!”  
He felt energy draining from his body, despite his weakness, he knew that if he stopped now, she and the baby would die for sure. “Itachi riki…Masumo-ria!!!” He shouted, then collapsed, onto her body--completely out of energy.  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 31  
Vaati awoke in the hospital bed next to Zelda. ‘Oh no! I fainted during the spell…she must be dead!’ he thought. But there she was, awake and well. Her face had it’s original color again and she had Junior sitting on her lap. ‘Thank Nayru!’  
Junior glanced over at Vaati and a small smile came to the little boy’s lips as if he were saying “Thanks for saving my mommy and my baby brother.” Vaati could swear that for such a small toddler he was, he was pretty bright when it came to understanding adult matters. As if he were born to lead.  
“How are you?” Vaati asked.  
“Great! I feel a lot better now. Though, I don’t think I can walk as well. It might be a while until I‘m out. How about you? I heard you passed out or something.”  
“My powers must have failed me. I couldn’t do it much longer…”  
“So, are the baby and I going to die?”  
“I don’t think so. I think I did it long enough to clear the spell out of your system. I’m not entirely sure, but I think I’m right…Yes, I am right.”  
Zelda smiled.  
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Chapter 32  
It was only a matter of time before Zelda was out of the hospital and on her feet. Although she was feeling perfectly fine, she had been quarantined to her hospital bed until a few months later.  
She stood on the bridge coming from the castle and stared wondrously at the distant mountains.  
The sound of Vaati’s sandal’s lightly tapping the ground approached her. She turned her head, and he stood there.  
“You’re all better?”  
“Yes. The doctor says I’m well enough to sleep back in my old bed.”  
“That’s good.”  
The young princess smiled. She looked off at the mountains again and rested her hand on her womb which was now fully rounded. “The mountains are so beautiful. I wonder what it would be like to live up there. And I wonder how far they go.”  
“Yes…I guess we all wonder that…” Vaati was hypnotized by her voice.  
Zelda leaned her head up against Vaati’s chest, wrapping her arms around him. “Did I ever tell you how much you look like Link?”  
“Um…Really? I didn’t think so…”  
She sighed sadly, “I wish he was here right now…” she moved her wrapped arms around his waist. Her womb was pressed against Vaati’s body and he could feel a slight kick. “…Have you ever lost anyone you really loved in your life? And felt really terrible about it after wards?”  
Vaati thought back to when he was young. He had lost many people he’d loved. “…Yes…yes, I have.” He changed the subject, “When is the baby due?”  
“Very soon, possibly within three days. What do you think we should name him?”  
“Hmm…I was thinking maybe something with a ‘T’…like Toby, or Toma!”  
“I suppose…do you want to listen to the baby’s heartbeat?”  
“U-umm…alright.” Vaati said sheepishly, leaning his ear to her womb. He could hear it. The tiny heart of his son. ‘Pretty soon, my boy. Pretty soon.’  
“Ah!” Zelda put her hand to her belly and Vaati jumped back.  
“What’s wrong?” he asked.  
“Vaati, the baby is coming!”  
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Chapter 33  
Vaati lifted Zelda up and carried her to her room as fast as his feet could take him. “Doctor! Doctor! Anybody! Come quickly!” Vaati called through the halls. He laid her down on her bed as nurses, doctors, and even the king and Junior followed.  
The princess moaned in pain.  
“Breathe! Breathe! Inhale through your nose and exhale out your mouth.” Vaati held her hand.  
The king pushed him aside. “Move, you rodent! It’s okay, sweetie. Just remember to breathe and push.”  
Vaati got up. “Hey, what was that for?! I’m the father of this baby, I deserve to be right beside her when she’s delivering him!”  
“No, I don’t trust you! You’ll put a curse on her or something, won’t you?”  
“For goodness sake, father! Let Vaati sit beside me!” She moaned once more as a nurse told her to push.  
“You can squeeze my hand as hard as you like. You deserve it for all I’ve done to you.”  
“Push! Just a little more!” one nurse said.  
She pushed once more. Beads of sweat were upon her face, and her father wiped them off.  
“Just a bit more, princess!”  
“You can do it. Come on.” Vaati encouraged. ‘Come on, my special prince of darkness!’ He thought.  
“Almost there, you’re doing great!”  
The baby was born.  
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Vaati Picoru, it’s a girl!” ‘A girl? My son is a…girl?’ Vaati thought, stunned.  
“Oh wait! There’s another! A twin!”  
‘A twin?’ Vaati thought excitedly “Boy or girl?” he said with just one breath.  
“Boy.” Said the nurse. Vaati felt his heart skip a beat with joy.  
One of the other nurses gasped.  
“What’s wrong?” Zelda said.  
“…I guess he couldn’t make it.”  
Vaati’s hearted skipped a beat once more, only this time, not with joy. “…What do you mean?” his voice was low.  
“Your baby boy is dead…I’m very sorry.”  
“…No! He can’t be! Not him!” ‘Why my son? Why not my daughter?’ A tear came to his eye. “No! You’re lying!!!” he shook the nurse.  
“Vaati…” Zelda said with a gloomy tone, “There’s nothing we can do…” Vaati sighed.  
They wrapped the baby girl up and handed her to Zelda.  
“Isn’t she beautiful, Vaati? Here, I think you should name her, since you were the one who really intended to have her.” She gave her to Vaati and he cradled her gently.  
At first he didn‘t even want to look at his daughter. ‘You‘re the one who should have died! I wanted a boy! Not some sissy girl!’  
He looked down at his newborn. She was crying, but immediately stopped when Vaati stroked her thin, soft hair. Soon his heart softened up for her. He was lucky to have even had the chance to have a child. “…Tovia. Her name will be Tovia Picoru.” All his life, he had felt so much hate toward everyone. He hadn’t loved anything more than he loved his newborn right then. ‘She’s so beautiful. I don’t care if she’s not a boy, I love her…my little girl.’ A small tear came to his eye. He continued stroking Tovia’s hair and she began to close her bright red eyes and drift off into a sleep, resting her head and one of her tiny hands against his chest.  
At first he didn’t care if he died, all he really wanted was to have child, but now, when he held his daughter in his arms, he didn’t want to die and have to let her go.  
‘I give all of my magic power to you, but you must learn to wield it on your own. And you must never forget me.’ Vaati thought as he covered her with his cape and rested his hand on her head. ‘You will dream of me, even after I die, so you will never forget that your father was the wind sorcerer. ’  
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Chapter 34  
Vaati sat back in his cell, yearning to hold Tovia once more. His execution would be very soon. People had been waiting anxiously for him to die. Jacob and Cody opened the cell door.  
“Vaati, it’s time.” said Cody, softly.  
Vaati nodded. “Okay.” Getting up an following the two guards.  
“I never thought I’d say this,” Jacob began, “But I think I’m actually going to miss you.”  
“Quit blubbering, Jacob!” Cody’s voice got quivery.  
“ I’m not, you are!”  
“It’s okay, guys. Everyone Hyrule has their own personal reason why they want me dead. Now is the time I make up for it…Well, boys, shall we go?”  
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Chapter 35  
The crisp November air blew through people’s hair, and smacked their faces. They chanted loudly and angrily when they saw Vaati. His hands were tied with a rope in the front of him and Jacob and Cody stood on either side of him. The crowd hissed, booed, spat at him, and even swore at him.  
“Die, you monster!”  
“You will burn in hell!”  
“We’ll all enjoy you suffering! Haha!”  
“The goddesses will damn you to hell for what you’ve done!”  
Vaati walked up the steps onto the gallows platform. Jacob and Cody stood to the side as the king approached him, holding a scroll. Princess Zelda stood behind him, holding Tovia, and Junior was sitting in his stroller. ‘Boy, he’s probably going to have a grand old time seeing me on the scaffold.’ Vaati thought.  
The king unrolled the scroll and read. “Vaati Picoru. You have been charged with the following crimes: thievery, rape, kidnapping, and murder. As your penalty, you will be hung by the neck until dead. May the goddesses have mercy on your soul. If you have any last words, speak up now.”  
“Well,” he began, “Princess, I thank you very much for being the bearer of my daughter, despite all we’ve been through, you deserve to have the pleasure of watching this fool die slowly and painfully. Little Link, I know we weren’t the best of friends, but…um…I like your outfit. Your Highness, I wish that my daughter should keep the last name Picoru, and be sure she marries a worthy man, and that her children also have her last name. Tovia, you’re always going to be my special little princess. You’re going to be a fine woman, and I want you to make Daddy proud because he loves you more than the universe. Be good to your brother. And all you people out there…well, you can kiss my ass!” The crowd roared angrily. “That is all I would like to say.”  
The king stepped back and stood next to his daughter. Cody came over and put the looped noose around Vaati’s neck and tightened it.  
“Sorry about this.” He whispered quietly.  
“Don’t bother. You’re just doing your job.”  
Cody nodded to Jacob. Jacob pulled the lever and the trap door under Vaati dropped and he was left hanging.  
Vaati couldn’t breathe at all. It was only a matter of seconds before his lungs began to ache. He tightened his fists, trying to make the pain stop, but nothing seemed to work. His whole body tensed up. Every muscle tight. He gritted his teeth. His heart pounded loudly in his ears. His slow and painful death was just beginning.  
He felt a soft hand against his cheek. Opening his eyes, he saw it was Zelda’s. She was holding Tovia in the other arm. The small baby looked into her dying father’s eyes and a large gust of wind blew as she began crying. Tiny drops of rain pattering were heard.  
Zelda pressed her lips against Vaati’s, and the crowd gasped in awe. How could she kiss the killer of her former husband? None of it made sense to them. They didn’t know that a little more happened besides Vaati doing bad things to her.  
She had her arm around him, and they kissed for quite a while until she brought herself away from him. Tovia reached out her tiny hand and Vaati raised his tied hands to where hers were and held her hand. He smiled only faintly at her, for he was in too much pain to lift his muscles any more. He wished to talk to her badly, but he could not speak, either. Zelda began walking away with Tovia in her arms. Vaati’s weak eyelids began to drop as he felt Tovia’s small hand slipping out of his. Four words went through his mind as he was prophetically directing it toward his daughter. ‘I love you, Tovia.’  
Not much time had gone by, but Vaati had passed out from not breathing. Many thought he was dead, but Jacob checked his pulse, and it was still going. The crowd moaned in boredom. Some saying “Is he dead yet?”  
After fifteen minutes, Zelda said, “He’s probably dead. A person can’t live without breathing for more than this.” Vaati’s face was gray and ghastly, his skin as cold as clay, his blue tongue hung out from his dark purple lips and a his closed eyelids were dark. His hands were not in fist form any longer and his body hung, limp as if a rag doll. She walked over to him and put her hand on his heart. It was beating very, very, slowly. Probably on average 6 beats a minute. Slower, and slower until it finally stopped. Just then the wind stop blowing.  
She turned around, she knew the people were waiting for it, “He’s dead.” The crowd cheered. The bells atop of the tower of the Temple of Time tolled in a mournful tone as Cody and Jacob carried the wind sorcerer’s body off to the forbidden section of the cemetery.  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 36  
(Back in the Present…)  
“He didn’t want me?…He wanted a boy?” I said with confusion.  
“Well…that’s what he thought at first, but when he saw your face, he immediately found a place in his heart for you.” Mom smiled.  
A happy tear came to my eye. Junior was sitting next to me and Zelda was sitting on his lap.  
“Juni, do you remember anything about my dad?” I asked.  
“That was a long time ago, sis. But, if I recall…I hated him from the start. Just looking at him sent shivers up my spine…but after what he did for Mom, I think I went from hating him 100% to hating him…oh, say 65%. Remember, Tovia, he did kill my dad.”  
“Yeah, I know, I understand. Hey, Mom? Do you have any pictographs of him? I just wanna see what he looked like.”  
Mom reached under the armchair. This is very old. About 19 years, in fact. It was taken at the sword-fighting tournament, your father was the champion.”  
She showed me a black-and white pictograph. He was standing with his arms crossed and his eyes at half-mass. “…Can I keep it?”  
“Sure. I don’t want it.”  
I smiled “Thanks.” and walked off.  
“Where are you going, Tovia?”  
“Oh…just to my room.”  
************************************************************************  
Chapter 37  
“Tovia…? Hey, Toves, dinners ready and Mom wanted me to come down and get you” Junior stepped into my room. “…you said you were going to be in your room. I sure hope you weren’t lying…Tovia?”

In the cemetery, I found Dad’s grave. I managed to fix it up some and put flowers there. And now I keep that pictograph or him under my pillow 24/7. I can’t possibly go to sleep without wishing him a good night…I know, I’m kinda weird, huh? As for the magic powers that he gave me, so far I’ve been able to levitate a vase. I’m not that good, yet. Unlike my father, I plan to use my powers for good, and not evil.  
As for my twin brother, I set down flowers for him, too. I don’t really know where he’s buried, but for now, his memorial is right near my dad’s. Since he didn’t live long enough for my parents to give him a name, I thought it’d be nice to put down what my dad wanted his name to be. 

Tobias Toma Picoru

 

THE END


End file.
